Midnight Show
by Lazerlicious
Summary: "Make it go away without a word. Promise me you'll stay and fix these things I've hurt." - Eli/Clare/EClare .:ONE-SHOT:.


So I wrote this a couple days ago, but I let this sit on my computer for a while. I was bored and I needed some hope in EClare after seeing the new promo.  
>BTW, much music has a new promo out now and you can go to degrassiblog to see it if you haven't yet!<p>

Anyways, enjoy & review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi. If I did EClare would've had 20+ little Eli's by now. Okay, maybe not, but you get the point. 

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><p><strong>"There's something in my head, somewhere in the back said, we were just a good thing, we were such a good thing."<strong> 

The evening was crisp and clear, with stars glaring blatantly at the couple lying together at the edge of the small pier. They were in reverie as they were casting content glances towards the sky, awestruck by nightfall. The spring breeze had quaked peace through every bit of distress that had ever ailed them, yet the crashing waves were still a constant reminder of the restlessness within them.

Eli Goldsworthy blinked, licking his dry lips, tasting the film of salt the sky had blown.

He wasn't quite sure how in blazes he ended up lying next to Clare on the little pier, especially with things as complicated as they were. They'd been broken up for over month, but she still managed to be on his mind every second of the day that passed.

Eli sighed, satisfied as the waves smashed against the pier, recalling events of the evening.

The moment Clare's name flashed the caller id of his cell, he'd answered without a second thought about it. She had called _him_ of all people, hysterical, and he was able somehow to pick out between the tears that it was her parents again. Her father had come home drunk, angry, and she'd begged him to take her away from it all.

Like an obedient little puppy, Eli had complied, grabbing his father's keys and darting out the door. He could always deal with the repercussions of "borrowing" his dad's precious MGB later; Clare was his only concern.

When he'd found her on the steps of her home, she'd been a mess, crying with her head in her lap. It broke his heart all over again to see her like that, and he only walked up to hold her tight as she cried into his chest. He'd been so worried, and so like she'd asked he took her away from it all.

Now, they were here, lying together, and Eli was the closest thing to happy he'd been since Morty had been crashed.

Everything was perfect, almost. There was still that constant nagging in the back of his mind that repeated the harsh reality that their moment together, wouldn't change anything. Clare was still not his. He'd lost her in his own stupidity.

He sighed once more, leaving it at that and turning his head to steal one glance at Clare, who only sighed, blowing a flawless auburn curl into the air as she did so.

It had to have been at least midnight by now, and he was more than sure her parents were panicking; she didn't seem to mind however. She'd looked just as peaceful as ever, with lips slightly parted as she gazed thoughtfully at the stars. He watched her chest rise and fall ever so slowly, admiring everything about her. Clare Edwards was truly perfect.

"Eli?" She'd suddenly asked, with eyes still planted towards the stars and her voice much softer than usual. It was amazing how freely and beautifully his name flowed from her moist lips.

"Hm?" he responded, studying the way her eyes flickered from the stars just to bore straight into his with a strength he'd never witnessed before.

"Why didn't you ever let go?"

It was a million dollar question that had caught him off guard, and he sucked in a fresh breath of air trying to collect his thoughts. At first he wasn't sure what she was talking about; it was a general question to ask, but soon realization had sunk in. She wanted to know why, why she still mattered to him. Why hadn't he just gotten over her by now?

It was true; he could've just started dating the new girl Imogen. Hell, he'd even considered it, but it wasn't the same. She wasn't Clare. She didn't have beautiful auburn curls or bright blue eyes he could see from miles away. No, Imogen wasn't enough for him and she would never be no matter how much he might have wanted her to suffice.

"I—" He stuttered, searching hastily for an appropriate answer to satisfy his Clare. The only thing his mind could repeat was that he loved her; he didn't need a reason. Love saw no bounds, and needed no rational explanation for anything. It just happened without necessary control and he knew there was nothing he could say to properly answer her question.

Eli licked his suddenly dry lips nervously. Clare only smiled at him, his heart fluttering vigorously in response.

"I'm glad you didn't." She admitted honestly before reaching over and grasping his warm hand. Eli shuddered at the close contact.

His mind was in a daze, colors twirling, dancing around happily as his stomach tickled in the flurry of butterflies that struck him brilliantly. Eli Goldsworthy was drunk on love, and he could only smirk arrogantly at her confession as he squeezed her hand tighter. "Thought you could get rid of me that easy, huh Edwards?" He joked, savoring the slight laughter that erupted from her in response.

"Guess that was kind of stupid of me." A light pink blush graced her cheeks.

He only chuckled, enthralled by how shy she was. "So what happened tonight anyway?" He asked, obliterating the lighter mood he had created. He watched as her eyes squinted, recalling events that had unfolded in the Edwards' household. "Dad," She muttered bitterly, looking away towards the sky.

Eli arched an eyebrow waiting for her to continue. "Dad came home mad, and drunk. He's been like this all week. Plus school had already been horrible enough today and I just needed to get away." Clare looked up at him with saddened eyes, and swallowed the lump in her throat before continuing. "I didn't know where to go or what to do so I just picked up the phone and called you. I didn't think you'd answer; I was sure you hated me."

Eli's eyes widened as he sponged in every word she spoke. Overwhelming the dark haired boy was humiliation as he floundered shamefully in his own stupidity. He'd put the girl through hell with him, and yet, she was the one consumed by guilt of it all? Eli was merely flabbergasted by the pure gold that was Clare Edwards.

"Clare, I could _**never**_ hate you." Truer words had never been spoken from Eli Goldsworthy, and he leaned over to brush a stray hair from her bright cerulean eyes. He didn't miss the small pool of tears that had formed dangerously on the corner of her eyes and his stomach lurched in agony. This was a pain he had caused; now he needed to fix it.

"I'm sorry if you ever thought that I did." He finished, watching as her lips curled into a small smile. "So what happened at school?" He asked casually, but he'd already had a hunch.

Clare hesitated a moment before finally muttering bitterly "Jake Martin…"

Eli had only heard the rumors around Degrassi, and Adam had already confirmed his suspicions not long after. Jake Martin had been bragging to all the jocks about moving in on Clare, _**his**_ Clare. Drew had overheard the whole thing, of course mentioning the gossip to Adam.

The boy froze in place, anger suddenly bubbling over as his nostrils flared at the name. Eli Goldsworthy had already had his run-ins with Jake, the tool he hadn't had the pleasure of using as his personal punching bag yet. He sighed, controlling himself for the girl delicately beside him. "What did he do to you?" He asked, his voice low and dangerous.

"Eli…." She warned, panic rising as she realized her mistake. Clare had never missed the dangerous glint in his eyes when he'd seen her talking to Jake. Eli sucked in a breath of air, allowing himself to tone down a bit.

"_What_ did he do to you?" He repeated, much softer, and this time barely a whisper. Clare met his eyes, pleading with blue. Eli watched as they flickered with conflicting emotions. Fear washed over as his mind became endless with possibilities, each worse than the last.

"He tried to kiss me." She breathed, clearly uncertain by this confession, and his anger only resurfaced, deadlier than before. "_**WHAT?**_" He shouted, launching upwards, fists clenching together. Oh _dammit_ all to hell, he would have Jake Martin's head by morning, _**that**_ he was more than sure of.

"No! It's okay Eli, really!" Clare defended, sitting upwards and grabbing a hold of him. "I took care of him myself, he got smacked." She reassured, smirking slightly as he must've evoked the memory and satisfaction of putting the guy in his place.

"Just say the word's Clare, and he's mine. I swear it. I won't even have to _really_ hurt him, I promise." Eli raved, the protective side of him oozing through every pore in his body. He heard her faintly sigh as her cold, tender hands reached up to cup his face. She only nodded no.

"Just say them," He repeated, lowly but gentle. Her eyes washed over him, rendering him harmless. He was swooning, losing the battle, and it was all her fault. Tomorrow he'd wake up, and tonight would only be a fragment of a memory, broken into useless shards the moment she decided drown him again.

Eli could only watch helplessly in surprise as her lips slightly parted, inching closer to finding their home, entangled with his.

"I love you Eli." She whimpered, watching innocently as his eyes twinkled happily. They weren't exactly the words he'd thought she'd say, but Eli would happily take them over beating Jake Martin any day.

It wasn't but a few seconds later until he had her pinned underneath him on the pier, growling as he deflowered her lips with his own. He became her assailant as she became his victim, his tongue raiding and capturing every corner of the mouth. He could only savor every moment as if it was his last with her.

Eli Goldsworthy would not let her go this time around. He refused to lose her again.

He groaned more as her small hands snaked their way into his long locks of hair, tugging, begging him for more. She could only moan, bucking her hips wildly toward his groin, pushing and grinding as the once shy little Clare Edwards disappeared into the stars.

If Eli didn't pull away now, she'd wake in the morning clouded by regret and he would never let that happen.

"Clare?" He inhaled, left breathless by her kisses.

She huffed, "Hm?" It was more than apparent that she was irritated by the loss of contact.

"I love you, you know." His cheeks burned red at his not-so-secretive confession. He watched as her swollen lips formed into the loveliest smile he had ever seen.

"You'd better."

He did. 

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><p><strong>AN: I'm not exactly sure I'm happy where this ended, oh well.**

**Title, quote at the top, and summary comes from Midnight Show by The Killers. I think the song is actually about murder, but I just thought I'd throw that in because I love it! lol**

**Review?**


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